Simon Cox appointed new chair of British Horseracing Authority

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has appointed Simon Cox as its new independent non-executive chair. The experienced racehorse owner-breeder will begin his initial three-year term on 1 October 2026.

Cox has more than 15 years of involvement in British racing and breeding. He also has over three decades of senior commercial experience. His appointment comes as the industry confronts financial, regulatory and governance challenges, including the effect of higher gambling taxes on racing’s income.

Cox brings racing and commercial experience

Cox owns more than 10 broodmares based at Shade Oak Stud. He has served as a trustee of the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA) since November 2021.

Cox also chairs the BHA’s Jump Pattern Committee and sits on the High Quality Horse group. This is an initiative seeking to improve the number and calibre of horses bred, owned, trained and raced in Britain.

Outside racing, Cox spent more than 30 years working in the global beer and beverage industry. He became European president and CEO of Molson Coors in 2014. This meant he oversaw a business with approximately £2 billion in turnover and 6,500 employees.

Growth and income among key priorities

Cox described his appointment as an honour but acknowledged that British racing was facing significant challenges. He identified participation, audience growth and new income streams as priorities for his chairmanship.

“My focus will be on ensuring racing works together to address these challenges, with a particular emphasis on growing participation in the sport, our customer base and critically our income streams.”

The appointment arrives after Remote Gaming Duty increased from 21% to 40% in April 2026. The BHA has warned that the tax change could cost British racing £330 million over its first five years. It could also place thousands of jobs at risk.

The organisation previously took the unprecedented step of cancelling racing for one day in September 2025 as part of its campaign against proposed tax increases affecting betting operators and the racing industry.

Appointment follows open recruitment process

Cox was selected through a recruitment process overseen by the BHA’s interim Nominations Committee. Its membership included independent representatives and nominees from the Racecourse Association, Racehorse Owners Association and TBA.

Committee chair Kyrsten Halley said Cox demonstrated an in-depth understanding of British racing and breeding, alongside a compelling plan covering governance, growth, welfare and government relations.

BHA interim chair David Jones similarly described Cox as a respected industry figure with the determination and decisiveness needed to lead the governing body.

The Betting and Gaming Council welcomed the appointment. It said it offered an opportunity to strengthen racing through firm leadership, greater commercial focus and closer collaboration.

Cox to relinquish existing industry roles

To protect the independence of his new position, Cox will step down as a TBA trustee before joining the  BHA board.

He will also relinquish his position as chair of the Jump Pattern Committee and leave the High Quality Horse group. These changes are intended to ensure he can represent the interests of the wider sport impartially.

Cox will succeed Jones at a time when the BHA is also challenging the Gambling Commission’s rollout of financial risk assessments. BHA chief executive Brant Dunshea has argued that intrusive checks could discourage betting on racing and drive customers towards unlicensed operators.